Of Exploding Golf Carts and Old School Mates
by mint repeat
Summary: In which Sharpay rescues Troy from an exploding golf cart and Troy tries to carry on a conversation with Sharpay. Troy/Sharpay


Written for **faerietaleredux**, who requested it.

Playlist - Moulin Rouge - Hindi Sad Diamonds.

* * *

**Of Exploding Golf Carts and Old School Mates.**

/

Sharpay positioned herself with the club in her hands. Feeling satisfied with the positions, she moved the club back and forth a bit experimentally, finally set her shoulders, looked ahead and then took a big swing. The club hit the ball and sent it flying all the way over to the other side of the course, just a few meters away from the cup, marked out by the flag pole. She smirked, picked up her equipment and walked over to where the golf ball was. Even after two years of no practice, she hadn't lost her touch.

Playing golf was relaxing and it made her think and calculate, stimulating her brain and not leaving it idle. She liked hobbies which posed a good challenge.

It was a pity that U of A didn't have a golf course on campus. But maybe expecting that was a bit preposterous. It had practically everything else though from a humongous amphitheatre, a sailing a club of which she was a member, basketballs grounds, swimming pools, gymnasiums, a cricket ground, volleyball courts and a few other sports fields, the names of which she couldn't remember. U of A wasn't Julliard but it was just as good and her B.F.A in Dramatic Writing and Musical Theatre kept her occupied almost every single minute of the day.

Life was good and Sharpay Evans was happy. Of course she missed Ryan dearly because only they could do musical numbers like no other but this separation was what they needed. Both of them needed to grow as individuals and college had a good way of making that happen.

Of course whenever Ryan came home, he came straight to Uni to see her. Just like she did whenever she went up to New York.

Yes life was good.

/

She set down her golf bag and mentally measured the distance between the ball and cup. Selecting a putter out of her bag, she gave the ball a small push which succeeded in sending it into the cup. Satisfied with her score for the day, Sharpay picked up her golf bag and began walking back to the clubhouse, eschewing the use of a golf cart. She had legs and she could walk. Beside these custom made Louis Vuitton golf shoes were sturdy enough to handle walking back.

As she walked back, the breeze ruffled her hair and Sharpay smiled up into the sun, it was such a beautiful day, meant exclusively for rest and relaxation. After a light snack she would go and get herself an aromatherapy massage to ease out the tensions knotting her shoulders.

Writing and enacting drama tended to do that to you. But she loved it all the same.

There was rickety old golf cart coming up the path and Sharpay moved sideways to give it space. She was extremely suspicious of rickety old vehicles. They had a knack of breaking down in the middle of nowhere and then the person would pathetically look at you, expecting you to help push the bag of bolts. And she was not going to do that.

She just had her nails done.

/

Troy drove the cart up the slope with much difficulty. Just like his dad to preserve the old cart, even when it looked like it would fall apart at any moment. He was on break from college and was home. Except that there was no one at home and since Chad was away playing games, he had no one for company. Which was what had driven him to the golf course even though he was spectacularly bad at it. Basketball he could play. Give him a golf club and a ball; he was bound to injure someone.

But today, they weren't many people on the course who would sue for damages, with the suit reading, 'grievous injury caused by golf club with intent to murder'.

So caught up was he in the fictional court proceedings that he failed to notice that the vehicle had begun issuing smoke from its underside. Only when he realized that his seat was getting hot did Troy realize something was wrong. He realized that the whole cart was smoking and he jumped out immediately and began screaming for help.

/

Sharpay noticed the vehicle smoking and the driver jumping out and running around like a headless chicken. The vehicle went up in flames and the driver didn't in realize that his backside was on fire. Sharpay dropped her bag, took out the fire extinguisher from her bag and strode to the man. This is what came of having a heart. It made you waste your time on morons who didn't know better than to drive veritable fire-hazards.

"Stop, drop and roll," she barked and at once Troy fell to the ground and rolled, effectively putting out the fire that had burnt a whole in the behind of his shorts. Sharpay then systematically sprayed the fire extinguisher over the smoking cart. The flames were out and all that was left was a smoky black cart and the acrid smell of melting plastic.

Sharpay then turned over to the man who was now sitting on the ground, flame free. Sharpay did a double take. Bolton, as in Troy Bolton? Why was she not surprised? Troy stared at his rescuer, not only was she a woman but she was Sharpay Evans. East High's one time resident drama queen.

"Well are you going to sit there all day like an idiot?" Sharpay asked snippily. God this was tiresome. She didn't want to have to meet any of her old school mates, especially Bolton and listen to him moan about Gabriella Whatshername. That girl was a drip if there ever was one. And Bolton had no spine so actually they were pretty well-matched. Okay, it wasn't that she hated them but seriously, they were such bland little goody two-shoes, that they bored her to tears.

/

Troy smiled. Sharpay hadn't changed one bit. And truth be told he had missed her acidic comments. She and Chad were pretty friendly now that they studied in the same college and Chad always regaled him with tales over the phone about how Sharpay ripped up boys who wanted to start potential relationships with her. He felt a little jealous of what they had. Back at Berkley, he had no one shooting snippy remarks' at him or no best friend to hang with. Sure he had his friends there but he and Chad had been together since they worn diapers with basketball stickers on them. They had been inseparable since then.

/

Sharpay sighed. If Bolton was going to act like an idiot and just sit there, she might as well leave. She picked up her bag and began walking away. Troy snapped out of his daze.

"Hold on Sharpay wait up," Troy said running after Sharpay who was walking at a brisk pace.

"I see you finally found your voice," Sharpay quipped sarcastically maintaining her pace with Troy huffing from trying to keep up.

"I was in a golf cart that exploded. I think losing my voice was an appropriate reaction. Also I wanted to know, why in the world do you carry a fire extinguisher in your golf bag?" Troy said, finally catching up to Sharpay.

"Uh huh. Whatever you say. I carry a extinguisher around because my mother has a very bad habit of leaving half-smoked cigarettes around. And the club management, though they love us said that if the course caught fire again, we'd have to relinquish membership. Occupational hazard. " Sharpay said airily, she hoped Bolton would go away after that. However he was still there next to her walking side by side.

"Is there any reason you are _still_ walking next to me?" Sharpay asked with an eyebrow raised. Did she have _welcome to my personal space_ written all over her head?

"I wanted to catch up." Troy said easily. To his surprise, Sharpay burst out laughing.

"Really Bolton, you lie very badly. Tell me the real reason." Sharpay said in between chuckles.

"I swear; I just wanted to catch up with you." Troy said thrown off by her reaction.

"Sweetie, if I remember right, and I know I do, in high school, you and your little miss perfect girlfriend hated me. Of course I hated you too but now you want to catch up with me?" Sharpay asked in disbelief.

"Time changes and people grow up." Troy said not all bothered by Sharpay's prickliness. Chad had told him that she could be like this with new people. But once you got to know her, she was absolutely wonderful. It was a little difficult to believe this but since it came from Chad who once called her a mountain lion, he was forced to accept it.

"People grow up but high school rivalries never fade." Sharpay said, easily dismissing his reasoning.

"Why are you being so difficult Sharpay?" Troy asked now feeling a little annoyed. He was trying to be nice here.

"Because you don't have to 'catch up with me' to assuage your conscience. I'm doing fine without your pity." Sharpay said rounding on Troy with a snarl. She refused to be his do good deed for his break. He could go find someone else. The gall of him to think that she needed some pity.

Troy colored. He had been somewhat like that in high school and he could see why it pissed her off so.

"You know what, you and your girlfriend were so irritating during high school with your holier than thou attitudes. Don't continue with it even now. It's irritating and there's nothing to stop me from putting your nose out of place. I'm no one's charity case, especially not yours Bolton. So go back to your girlfriend and pontificate or whatever it is you do." Sharpay said, thoroughly incensed and irritated. Why in the world did people think she needed their pity? She was happy with the way she was and the way she had been. She then turned and began walking, her small frame vibrating with anger.

"Gabriella broke up with me." Troy called out after her.

"What?" Sharpay said.

"Gabriella broke up with me," Troy repeated as he ran forward to catch up with Sharpay.

"Er, should I offer you my sympathies?" Sharpay asked doubtfully wondering why Gabriella breaking up with him was something he was telling her about. " Cause let me tell you, I'm not inclined to be sympathetic or kind towards you ever."

"No, I'm just saying that we broke up. People grow and change. We changed and we grew apart." Troy said with a patient air.

"You do know that telling me is not going to change how I think of you, right? To me you'll always be the basketball upstart to stole mine and Ryan's place in the musical." Sharpay said causally.

"Geez, Sharpay, we didn't steal it."

"That's the thing; you stole it without even wanting it. Do you know how hard it is to make a routine and a good one at that, yet you just breezed in and did your thing and went off. As far as I'm concerned that was the worst crime possible." Sharpay said regarding Troy with critical eye.

"I'm sorry Sharpay. I never knew it meant that much to you." Troy said with genuine regret. He indeed had no idea that it did. For him the musical had been a fun thing. He had no idea; it mattered to Sharpay and Ryan so much. In retrospect her animosity actually made sense. After all Ryan and Sharpay were the ones who wanted to do drama. Not him and Gabriella. Well, he was now pursuing it but if it hadn't been in the musical, he was sure he wouldn't have thought of drama, even as an alternative.

"Sorry Sharpay," he said once more, contrite.

"Yeah well, it's over and grudges have no point." Sharpay said with an airy wave of her hand feeling that Bolton must have some redeeming factor in him after all. The fact that Gabriella and he no longer were together also had quite a lot to do with it. She was quite honest about it, she would never get along with Gabriella. They were much too different and if Gabriella ever wanted to catch up with her, Shapray knew what she'd do, she's stick forks in her eyes.

"Thanks Sharpay," Troy said, surprised she had forgiven him so fast.

"Like you said people grow and change and I'm trying to be Zen," Sharpay said ruefully.

"And how's that working for you?" Troy said amused, that Sharpay Evans could ever be Zen.

"Not too well I'm afraid. I function better when I'm bitchy. I like myself better when I'm bitchy." Sharpay said thoughtfully. Being Zen was a real hassle and in the end she gave up. She liked herself the way she was and she wasn't going to change.

"I like you better when you are bitchy too," Troy said fondly, glad that the Sharpay he remembered was back and that he wasn't on the wrong side of her sharp tongue.

"Now, do you?" Sharpay asked amused. Ryan would get a kick out of this. Sweet little Troy Bolton actually liked bitchy ol' Sharpay Evans. Somewhere someone was laughing very hard. It seemed like the dictionary definition of irony. Troy blushed in response, he hadn't meant for that to come out. They had now reached the club house and Troy shuffled around awkwardly not knowing how to close the conversation. However Sharpay beat him to that.

"Pick me up at eight, don't be late and wear black. I don't want to clash," Sharpay fired at him before walking up the stairs.

"Wait what?" Troy said confused, not sure whether he had heard right.

"Did you hurt you head? You wanted to catch up and I'm catching up." Sharpay said with an air of impatience. Really, these basketball kids were so dense sometimes. I must be the multiple balls they took to the head. At least that's what she though.

"Cool." Troy said his face lighting up, happy that Sharpay had finally decided to give him a chance.

"By the way Bolton, before you leave, you might want to do something about the gaping hole in your shorts. Exposed underwear is such a déclassé look."

"Crap."

* * *

The prompt was that Troy's golf cart catches on fire and Sharpay puts it out. It was supposed to be humorous but I went off on a tangent. I did try bitchy!Sharpay though. I hope you liked it Jenn and I hope it wasn't too bad.

Chadpay is my zone, Troypay not so much.


End file.
